FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NINE YEARS, NBC WINS THE OPENING TWO WEEKS OF THE SEASON OUTRIGHT IN 18-49

‘SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL,’ ‘THE VOICE,’ ‘REVOLUTION’ AND ‘GO ON’ LEAD NBC TO A #1 RANKING FOR THE SEASON TO DATE, UP FROM #4 ONE YEAR AGO

NBC IS UP BY 17 PERCENT IN 18-49 AND 6 PERCENT IN TOTAL VIEWERS VERSUS WEEK TWO LAST YEAR, WHILE THE RIVAL BIG-FOUR NETWORKS ARE EACH DOWN IN BOTH CATEGORIES

NBC HAS NOW WON FIVE WEEKS IN A ROW IN 18-49 AND HAS BEEN #1 OR TIED FOR #1 AMONG ABC, CBS, NBC AND FOX FOR NINE OF THE LAST 11 WEEKS

‘SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL’ IS #1 FOR THE WEEK IN 18-49, ‘THE VOICE’ IS THE #1 UNSCRIPTED SERIES, ‘REVOLUTION’ IS THE #1 NEW SERIES AND ‘GO ON’ IS TIED FOR THE #1 NEW COMEDY ON ABC, CBS, NBC AND FOX

MONDAY’S ‘THE VOICE’ IS #1 FOR THE WEEK ON THOSE NETS IN WOMEN 18-49, WOMEN 18-34, TEENS 12-17 AND KIDS 2-11 (TIE)

ON MONDAY, ‘THE VOICE’ LEADS NBC TO THE NIGHTLONG WIN AMONG ABC, CBS, NBC AND FOX IN 18-49, WITH THE #1 RATING OF THE NIGHT ON THOSE NETS, 59 PERCENT AHEAD OF CBS’S COMEDIES AND 119 PERCENT AHEAD OF ‘DANCING WITH THE STARS’

‘REVOLUTION’ GROWS BY 1.64 RATING POINTS GOING FROM ‘LIVE PLUS SAME DAY’ TO ‘LIVE PLUS THREE DAYS,’ AND HAS NOW DELIVERED NBC’S THREE BIGGEST SUCH INCREASES EVER

ON TUESDAY, A ‘VOICE’ RECAP TOPS NBC’S 18-49 AVERAGE IN THE SLOT LAST SEASON BY 50 PERCENT AND LEADS THE HOUR IN ADULTS 18-34

TUESDAY’S ‘THE NEW NORMAL’ RETAINS A BEST-YET 81 PERCENT OF ITS 18-49 LEAD-IN FROM ‘GO ON’

ON WEDNESDAY, ‘GUYS WITH KIDS’ DELIVERS THE BIGGEST BUILD ON LEAD-IN, 23 PERCENT IN 18-49, OF ANY 8:30 COMEDY SO FAR THIS SEASON ON ABC, CBS, NBC AND FOX

ON THURSDAY, ‘PARKS AND REC’ GROWS 19 PERCENT WEEK TO WEEK TO DELIVER NBC’S BEST IN-SEASON RATING IN THE SLOT SINCE JANUARY

FRIDAY’S ‘GRIMM’ AND ‘DATELINE’ RANK #1 IN THEIR HOURS IN 18-49 AMONG THE BIG-FOUR NETS; ‘GRIMM’ MATCHES ITS TOP FRIDAY RATING SINCE JANUARY AND ‘DATELINE’ EQUALS ITS TOP FRIDAY SCORE SINCE JUNE

SUNDAY’S CHARGERS-SAINTS CONTEST LEADS NBC TO A NIGHTLONG WIN AMONG ABC, CBS, NBC AND FOX IN ALL KEY MEASURES

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. – October 9, 2012 – NBC has finished #1 in adults 18-49 for week two of the 2012-13 television season, giving the network outright wins in weeks 1 and 2 of the primetime television season for the first time since 2003 (NBC tied ABC for #1 in weeks 1 and 2 of 2007). Led by “Sunday Night Football,” “The Voice,” “Revolution” and “Go On,” NBC delivered an average 2.8 rating, 8 share in adults 18-49 and 7.5 million viewers overall for the primetime ratings week of October 1-7, according to “live plus same day” viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research.

The 2.8 rating in 18-49 marks NBC’s highest week-two rating in four years, since 2008. On week earlier, NBC delivered its top premiere-week rating (2.9) in four years.

NBC is up versus its week-two rating of last year by 17 percent in 18-49 (with a 2.8 rating vs. a 2.4) and is up by 6 percent in total viewers (7.5 million vs. 7.1 million), making NBC the only network among ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox up year to year in either category.

NBC was also up versus last year’s second week of the new season in every other key ratings category.

NBC rose to #1 for the week in 18-49 after tying for #3 during the same week last year. Season to date, NBC is #1 in adults 18-49, up from its year-ago ranking of #4.

For the week, NBC is #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49, adults 18-34, adults 25-54 (tie), men 25-54, men 18-49, men 18-34, women 18-49 (tie) and women 18-34. NBC has now finished #1 among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in 18-49 for five weeks in a row and has been #1 or tied for #1 nine of the last 11 weeks.

NBC’s week-two schedule included the week’s #1 series in 18-49 (“Sunday Night Football”), the week’s #1 unscripted telecast (the Monday edition of “The Voice,” also #3 overall), the #1 new series (“Revolution”) and the #1 new comedy (tied, “Go On”).

NBC’s Chargers-Saints “Sunday Night Football” coverage delivered the #1 primetime rating of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-34, 18-49 and 25-54 and all key adult-male categories. “Sunday Night Football” has now been #1 in 18-49 for five of five weeks so far this NFL season. In 18-49, top NBC programs for the week included “Sunday Night Football (#1), Monday’s “The Voice” (#3), “Revolution” (tied for #13) and Tuesday’s “Voice” recap episode (tied for #17) (rankings exclude sports pre- and post-game shows).

“The Voice” was the #1 primetime show of the week on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in women 18-49, women 18-34, teens 12-17 and kids 2-11 (tie).

* NBC won Monday among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and all other key demos, with “The Voice” delivering the #1 rating of the night in 18-49 and “Revolution” winning among ABC, CBS and NBC in all key demos at 10. For the night, NBC was up 156 percent versus year-ago 18-49 results.

* Monday’s “The Voice” won its time period among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in 18-49 by margins of 59 percent over CBS’s comedy lineup and 119 percent over ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.” From its first half-hour to its fourth, “The Voice” grew by 1.4 rating points or 38 percent in 18-49. “The Voice” also generated week-to-week gains in 18-49 and other key measures.

* Also on Monday, week three of “Revolution” won the time period ahead of CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” and ABC’s “Castle” in every key demographic, capturing 18-49 margins of 60 percent over “Hawaii Five-0” and 68 percent over “Castle.”

* In “live plus three day” results, “Revolution” grew by 1.64 points in 18-49 versus its “live plus same day” rating, giving the three telecasts of “Revolution” to date NBC’s three biggest increases ever when going from L+SD to L+3.

* On Tuesday, a recap episode of “The Voice” ranked #2 in the 8 p.m. ET hour in adults 18-49 and #1 in adults 18-34. The recap improved by 50 percent on NBC’s 18-49 average in the slot last season (“live plus same day,” non-sports).

* Tuesday’s “The New Normal” retained a best-yet 81 percent of its 18-49 lead-in from “Go On,” up from the prior week’s 74 percent retention and up from the 65 percent of two weeks earlier.

* On Wednesday, “Guys With Kids” built on its 18-49 lead-in by 23 percent, the best performance relative to lead-in for an 8:30 p.m. ET comedy on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox so far this season.

* Wednesday’s “Guys With Kids” maintained its 1.6 rating in 18-49 for the prior week’s regular-slot premiere, allowing “Guys With Kids” to join NBC’s “Go On” as the only two new comedies on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in the last two years to maintain their 18-49 ratings from their first regular-slot telecast to their second (excludes special previews and out-of-time-period premieres).

* On Thursday, the season premiere “30 Rock” matched the 18-49 rating of the show’s season finale last May and improved by 22 percent in total viewers.

* Thursday’s “Up All Night” retained 100 percent of its 18-49 lead-in from “30 Rock,” the strongest performance this season for “Up All Night” relative to lead-in.

* Also on Thursday, “The Office” built on its lead-in by 57 percent to earn a season-high 18-49 rating.

* Thursday’s “Parks and Recreation” scored a season-best 86 percent retention of its 18-49 lead-in from “The Office.” “Parks” grew week to week by 19 percent to generate NBC’s best in-season rating in the time period since January 19.

* Also on Thursday, “Rock Center” reported NBC’s top 18-49 in-season rating in the time period since March 22.

* On Friday, “Grimm” equaled its highest 18-49 rating for a Friday telecast since January 20, while capturing the night’s #1 rating for a scripted series and leading the hour among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

* Also on Friday, “Dateline NBC” finished #1 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC, CBS and NBC in 18-49 and matched the show’s highest rating for a Friday telecast since June 1.

* NBC won Sunday night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in all key categories, as NBC’s Chargers-Saints “Sunday Night Football” telecast grabbed the second biggest overall audience for a week-five matchup in the seven seasons of “Sunday Night Football,” behind only the year-ago game (which did not face baseball-playoff competition).

Ratings reflect “live plus same day” data unless otherwise noted. Season-to-date figures are averages of “live plus seven day” data except for the two most recent weeks, which are “live plus same day.”

Additional NBC highlights for the week of October 1-7:

On Monday, Oct. 1 from 8-10:01 p.m. ET, "The Voice" (4.6 rating, 12 share in adults 18-49, 12.6 million viewers overall) delivered the #1 results of the night on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and other key demos, winning the time period head to head versus CBS’s comedies by a margin of 59 percent (with a 4.6 rating vs. a 2.9) and versus ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” by 119 percent (4.6 vs. 2.1). Week to week, “The Voice” was up 5 percent in 18-49 rating (4.6 vs. 4.4) and up 3 percent in total viewers (12.552 million vs. 12.183 million). This week’s “Voice” delivered growth throughout its time period, generating this track in 18-49 rating: 3.7, 4.5, 4.9, 5.1, for a gain of 1.4 rating points or 38 percent from the show’s first half-hour to its fourth. In total viewers, the increase is 19 percent or 2.1 million persons (13.2 million vs. 11.1 million). "The Voice" was up 53 percent versus NBC’s 18-49 average in the time period last season (4.6 vs. 3.0) and up 45 percent in total viewers (12.6 million vs. 8.7 million). Versus its averages for the show’s final four Monday telecasts last spring, “The Voice” is up 24 percent in both 18-49 (4.6 vs. 3.7) and total viewers (12.6 vs. 10.1 million).

Monday at 10:01 p.m. ET, "Revolution" (3.2/8 in adults 18-49, 8.3 million viewers overall) ranked #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 and all other key demographics. “Revolution” retained 94 percent of the prior week’s 3.4 rating. “Revolution’s” 18-49 margin of victory in the hour was 60 percent over CBS’s “Hawaii Five-0” (2.0) and 68 percent over ABC’s “Castle” (1.9). “Revolution” was up 100 percent versus NBC’s average in the time period last season in 18-49 rating (3.2 vs. 1.6, L+SD non-sports) and up 63 percent in total viewers (8.3 million vs. 5.1 million).

Note that “Revolution” has started out as a highly time-shifted show, last week adding 1.64 rating points to its L+SD 3.17 in “live plus three day” results (4.81). “Revolution” has now delivered NBC’s three biggest increases going from L+SD to L+3: 1.36 for its premiere, 1.74 for week two and 1.64 for week three.

NBC ranked #1 Monday night among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in adults 18-49 and all other key demographics, winning six of six half-hours among those networks in adults 18-49. For the night, NBC was up 156 percent versus the same night last year (with a 4.1 rating vs. a 1.6) and 153 percent in total viewers (11.2 million vs. 4.4 million).

On Tuesday, Oct. 2, from 8-9:01 p.m. ET, a recap episode of “The Voice” from 8-9:01 p.m. ET (3.0/9 in 18-49, 8.5 million viewers overall) ranked #2 in the time period in 18-49 and #1 in adults 18-34 ahead of CBS’s “NCIS,” ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” Recap and Fox’s comedies “Raising Hope” and “Ben & Kate.” “The Voice” grew by 0.3 of a point in 18-49 from half-hour to half-hour, the biggest gain in the hour among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox. The recap edition of “The Voice” was up 50 percent versus NBC’s average in the time period last season in 18-49 rating (3.0 vs. 2.0, “live plus same day,” non-sports) and up 39 percent in total viewers (8.481 million vs. 6.116 million).

Tuesday from 9:01-9:31 p.m. ET “Go On” averaged a 2.1/6 in 18-49 and 5.8 million viewers overall. In adults 18-34, “Go On” tied for #2 in the slot among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and in women 18-34, “Go On” was #2 outright among those networks in a competitive time period versus CBS’s “NCIS: LA,” Fox’s “The New Girl” and ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” Results Show.

Tuesday at 9:31-10:01 p.m. ET, “The New Normal” (1.7/5 in 18-49, 4.5 million in total viewers) retained 81 percent of its 18-49 lead-in from “Go On.” That was up from the prior week’s 74 percent and up from 65 percent two weeks earlier, making this the top “New Normal” retention in four telecasts to date. In women 18-34, “New Normal” ranked #2 in the slot among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox.

Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET, “Parenthood” (1.6/5 in 18-49, 4.5 million in total viewers) finished within 0.4 of a point of “Vegas” (1.6 vs. 2.0), the #1 show in the slot on ABC, CBS and NBC, reducing the week-earlier deficit of 0.7 of a point (1.8 vs. 2.5). “Parenthood” was the only program on ABC, CBS or NBC that hour to maintain its 18-49 rating from its first half-hour to its second. In adults 18-34, “Parenthood” ranked #2 in the slot among ABC, CBS and NBC and in women 18-34, “Parenthood” finished #1 among those networks. Keep in mind that last season, “Parenthood” originals added an average of 47 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings in 18-49 when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results.

Wednesday from 8:30-9 p.m. ET, “Guys With Kids” (1.6/5 in 18-49, 4.8 million viewers overall) maintained 100 percent of the prior week's slot-premiere rating (1.6), while in total viewers “Guys With Kids” retained 98 percent of the prior week's overall audience (4.763 million vs. 4.839 million). "Guys With Kids" joins NBC's “Go On” as the only debuting comedies on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox in two years to match their first regular-slot 18-49 ratings with their second regular-slot results (since Fox’s “Raising Hope” earned 3.1 ratings with its first two telecasts on September 21-28, 2010) (excludes special previews and out-of-time-period premieres). "Guys With Kids" built on this week's 18-49 lead-in by 23 percent, and has now built on its lead-in with two of two telecasts in this slot. "Guys With Kids" is the only 8:30 comedy this season on ABC, NBC, CBS or Fox to build on its 18-49 lead-in. Versus NBC’s results in this slot on the same night last year, "Guys With Kids" was up by 60 percent in 18-49 rating (1.6 vs. 1.0) and 46 percent in total viewers (4.8 million vs. 3.3 million). In a highly competitive time period versus Fox’s “The X Factor,” CBS’s “Survivor” and ABC’s “Neighbors,” “Guys With Kids” improved on NBC’s average in the time period last season by 23 percent in 18-49 rating (with a 1.6 vs. a 1.3, L+SD non-sports) and was up 20 percent in total viewers (4.8 million vs. 4.0 million). “Guys With Kids” matched NBC’s highest in-season 18-49 rating in this time period (1.6) since February 1, 2012.

Wednesday from 9-10:33 p.m. ET, NBC News’ coverage of the Presidential Debate was sustaining and will not be included in nightly or weekly averages. From 10:33-11 p.m. ET, NBC News' analysis of the debate averaged a 2.8/7 in adults 18-49, a 3.3 rating in adults 25-54 and 8.7 million viewers overall, ranking #1 in the time period among ABC, CBS and NBC in 18-49 and 25-54.

On Thursday, Oct. 4 at 8 p.m. ET, the seventh season debut of “30 Rock” delivered a 1.4/4 in 18-49 and 3.5 million viewers overall in a highly competitive half-hour versus CBS’s “Big Bang Theory,” Fox's "X Factor" and ABC’s “Last Resort.” "30 Rock” matched the 1.4 rating of its season finale in the 8:30 half-hour on May 17. Versus that May finale, the "30 Rock" season debut was up 22 percent in total viewers (3.5 million vs. 2.8 million). Note that last season “30 Rock” added an average 45 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results.

Thursday t 8:30 p.m. ET, “Up All Night” (1.4/4 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall) retained 100 percent of its 18-49 lead-in, the show's top performance relative to lead-in so far this season. "Up All Night" also built on lead-in by 8 percent in adults 18-34 (with a 1.4 rating vs. a 1.3) and by 20 percent in women 18-34 (1.8 vs. 1.5). In a highly competitive time period versus CBS’s “Two and a Half Men,” Fox's "X Factor" and ABC’s “Last Resort,” "Up All Night" maintained its adult 18-49 rating of the prior week. Keep in mind that last season “Up All Night” added an average 51 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results, the biggest percentage increase for any comedy on ABC, CBS, NBC or Fox.

Thursday from 9-9:31 p.m. ET, “The Office” (2.2/6 in 18-49, 4.1 million viewers overall) grew 5 percent week to week in 18-49 rating to earn a season-high rating. "The Office" built on its lead-in by 57 percent in a competitive time period versus ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy,” CBS’s “Person of Interest” and Fox's "Glee." This week’s “Office” also matched the show’s 2.2 average for last May’s sweep in 18-49. “Office” was #1 in its half-hour this week among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in men 18-34. Note that last season “The Office” added an average 50 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results.

Thursday from 9:31-10 p.m. ET, "Parks and Recreation" (1.9/5 in 18-49, 3.5 million viewers overall) retained a season-best 86 percent of its lead-in from "The Office," up from last week's 76 percent, in a challenging time period versus the concluding half-hours of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy,” CBS’s “Person of Interest” and Fox's "Glee." "Parks" delivered NBC's best in-season 18-49 rating in the time period since January 19. "Parks and Recreation" was up week to week by 19 percent in 18-49 rating (to a 1.9 from a 1.6), to earn the show's highest rating since January 19, and was up week to week in total viewers by 8 percent (3.5 million vs. 3.3 million), to claim the show's biggest overall audience since March 8. Keep in mind that last season “Parks and Recreation” added an average 39 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” ratings when Nielsen reported “live plus seven day” results.

Thursday at 10 p.m. ET, “Rock Center” (1.0/3 in 18-49, 3.4 million viewers overall) reported NBC's top in-season 18-49 rating in the slot since March 29 and NBC's biggest overall audience in-season in the hour since March 22. Week to week, "Rock Center" was up in 18-49 by 0.2 of a point or 25 percent (1.0 vs. 0.8) and was up in total viewers by 9 percent (3.4 million vs. 3.1).

On Friday, Oct. 5 at 8 p.m. ET, an encore telecast of “The Voice” (0.9/3 in 18-49, 3.1 million viewers overall) matched NBC's top non-sports 18-49 rating in the time period since May 18.

Friday at 9 p.m. ET, "Grimm" (1.6/5 in 18-49, 5.3 million viewers overall) maintained 100 percent of the prior week's 18-49 rating for the show's Friday night season debut, and ranked as the #1 scripted show Friday night in 18-49. “Grimm” ranked #1 in the hour among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox in most key demos: adults and men 18-34; adults, men and women 18-49; and adults, men and women 25-54. “Grimm” matched its highest 18-49 rating for a Friday telecast since January 20. Keep in mind that last season, “Grimm” originals added an average 69 percent to these next-day “live plus same day” 18-49 ratings when Nielsen issued “live plus seven day” results and the prior week's telecast grew by 72 percent in "live plus three day" results (to a 2.72 from a 1.58).

Friday at 10 p.m. ET, "Dateline NBC" (1.3/4 in 18-49, 4.6 million viewers overall) ranked #1 among ABC, CBS and NBC in adults 18-49 and tied for #1 in adults 25-54. "Dateline" also finished #1 among those networks in women 25-54 and men and women 18-49. From its first half-hour to its second, "Dateline" grew by 17 percent in adults 18-49 (to a 1.4 rating from a 1.2), 12 percent in adults 25-54 (1.9 vs. 1.7) and by 14 percent in total viewers (4.9 million vs. 4.3 million). “Dateline NBC” matched its top Friday 18-49 rating since June 1.

On Saturday, Oct. 6, NBC’s coverage of Miami-Notre Dame college football from Soldier Field in Chicago averaged a 1.1/4 in adults 18-49, 3.7 million viewers overall and a 2.2/4 household rating/share for its full duration from 7:30-11 p.m. ET, to top last year’ neutral-site Notre Dame primetime telecast (Maryland-Notre Dame from Landover, Md., 0.6/2 in 18-49, 2.077 million viewers overall, 1.3/2 in households on Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011).

On Sunday, Oct. 7, the “Sunday Night Football” telecast of the San Diego Chargers at the New Orleans Saints propelled NBC to a Sunday win among ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox by all key measures. For its full duration, the Chargers-Saints game averaged a 7.2/18 in adults 18-49, 18.3 million viewers overall and an 11.2/17 household rating/share from 8:32-11:38 p.m. ET. The Chargers-Saints telecast generated the second biggest overall audience for a week-five edition of “Sunday Night Football” behind only the year-ago game, which was the only week-five telecast in the seven seasons of “Sunday Night Football” that did not face baseball playoff competition.

For the night (from 7:30-11 p.m. ET), NBC averaged a 6.2/16 in 18-49 and 15.8 million viewers overall, to win the night in total viewers by 17 percent over the second-place network (15.8 million vs. 13.4 million for CBS, which was boosted by an NFL overrun). In adults 18-49, NBC’s margin of victory over the #2 network was 77 percent (6.2 vs. 3.5 for CBS).

Also on Sunday, “Football Night in America 2” from 7:30-7:56 p.m. ET averaged a 2.9/9 in 18-49, 7.2 million viewers overall and a 4.4/7 household rating/share. “Football Night in America 3” from 7:56-8:20 p.m. delivered a 4.2/12 in 18-49, 10.4 million viewers overall and a 6.4/10 in households. From 8:20-8:32 p.m., “Sunday Night Football Pre Kickoff” averaged a 5.4/15 in 18-49, 13.7 million viewers overall and an 8.4/13 in households. Note: “Football Night in America” from 7-7:30 p.m. ET was sustaining and is excluded from nightly and weekly primetime averages.